Trails in the Sky
by Ascarde
Summary: Joshua Astray, cold-hearted bodyguard of Princess Klaudia. Famous for his stoicness and mysteriousness, he walks a trail with his charge. For Want of a Nail. JoshuaxKlose. I do not own the "Legend of Heroes" franchise. Please support the official release.
1. Prologue

Cassius Bright. The man was a legend in his own right; arguably the most powerful person in the entire kingdom of Liberl. There was no one able to match his prowess, and as a Bracer, his reputation grew and spread like wildfire. Add that to his formidable past and you had an S-Rank Bracer who commanded the respect of the entire known world. So why on earth was he out of breath fighting against a boy who could be no older than ten? This boy, with eyes of amber and raven hair, came hurtling towards him with twin swords. On reflex, he grabbed his Bo staff and managed to avoid getting his jugular carved out. An assassin? So young! He could not deny the boy's prowess, however. Within a matter of minutes he had Cassius on the defensive. Him, the Sword Saint whose prowess with the blade matched no one's! He, who fought in the Hundred Years War and emerged without a scratch and turned the tides in the Royal Army's favor, yet he was easily being driven back. If he let is guard down for even a second his throat or his head would be separated from his body.

"Urgh!" he blocked another swift strike aimed toward his neck. This boy was fast and he was swinging those large swords around like they were feathers. The boy's amber eyes were blank and gazed directly into his soul, almost. They were judging him… and found him wanting. He easily was on another league than most of his opponents, and the child hadn't even fully matured yet! Undoubtedly, he would prove to be a dangerous foe if he was left unguarded.

Leaping back to get distance between the two, he mentally flicked his orbment on and reached for the magic in the air. Grancel was particularly rich in it due to having some of the largest factories on the continent. He didn't want to kill the boy, so he decided for a low level water spell. Water would hopefully knock him out, thought at higher levels it might just blow him apart.

Water swirled around Cassius before shooting forward like a bullet. He himself would have a hard time dodging that.

And the boy simply leaped to the side, absolutely unconcerned. The water struck his side with a force comparable to shatter trees. The road exploded in a shower of dirt and stone, and the boy literally bounded off to the side and dashed forward like a snake, not even batting an eye at the attack or the debris. The child's speed was unnatural! It was almost as if he was fighting a demon and oh crud that left sword was heading for his ribs.

Cassius batted aside the boy's arm once more. As blows were exchanged quicker than most eyes could follow, he developed a tentative plan. Perhaps if he tired the child out, he could knock him out and take him into custody. Estelle was undoubtedly getting bored by now. And if there was anything he learned from his daughter, it was that when she was bored, things got messy.

As he contemplated, the boy momentarily stumbled. It was small, but Cassius was so caught up in his thoughts he could not take advantage of it. Cursing mentally, he steeled himself for another long bout. He was running out of time if he wanted to take this boy to safety. Grancel's police force was rapidly approaching and he could even now hear their outraged cries. Wait… there! The boy faltered a bit, but it was enough. A smack to the face and the boy was sent hurtling into the wall. He slid to the stone ground unconscious, his twin swords falling from his grip. Breathing heavily, he had no time to act. He had to move quickly. Seizing the boy and his swords, he dashed off into a nearby alley, just in time for the soldiers to come and search the area. The city was in lockdown now; he couldn't escape from this city on an airship with the boy. Well, he simply couldn't leave the poor child alone. The child would most likely starve within a day, if not simply be killed on the spot by the soldiers.

Time to visit an old friend, Queen Alicia II. Hefting the boy over his shoulder, he couldn't help but mourn. The boy would've made a nice playmate for Estelle. Cassius shook his head. No, the boy was too dangerous. There was no guarantee that he simply wouldn't kill her, and then kill him while his guard was down. He was strong, certainly, but if he wished to kill the queen and her granddaughter, he'd have to go through the legions of guards. Perhaps this was for the best.

* * *

"You want me to what," the aged Queen said flatly. Cassius rubbed his head and grinned sheepishly, looking once more like the cadet who dropped his sword during a parade march. The queen smiled briefly, fondly recalling the wide-eyed boy who ascended the ranks quickly and became renowned as a famous general. His abrupt resignation disheartened and dismayed many, but General Morgan supported his decision. Cassius deciding to become a Bracer, of all things, was certainly not expected. The old friends may very well end up not seeing each other ever again, but at least they would end up helping each other occasionally.

"I'd like for you to take care of this boy. Maybe put him in the army or adopt him personally?" he offered. The boy was talented; he handled those swords like a professional and the few arts he saw astounded him in their ferocity. Unfortunately, his orbment broke when he hit the wall. It was possible to repair, the delicate quartz circuits broken in a few key areas. He could probably take it to the Russells; the guy brought about the Revolution, for crying out loud!

"Oh? Decided to have a successor to the army, Cassius?" she grinned as Cassius flushed briefly.

"No, I already have a daughter," Cassius automatically responded, then quickly realized that was perhaps not the best thing to say.

"Ah, have you cheated on your wife? She will be so disappointed in you," she sighs, and watches in barely veiled amusement as Cassius stammers in outrage. "Very well, I shall appoint him to be a bodyguard for my granddaughter." The boy stirs, groans, and sits up, rubbing his head. "You're up?"

Cassius shares Alicia's surprise. That blow should've knocked him out for a few days, not over half an hour. He cleared his throat, earning the boy's attention. Before he could introduce himself, the boy interrupted. "Cassius Bright… why?" he asks, genuinely confused. He blinks in surprise, before grinning.

"Would you believe me if I said it all just worked out like this?" he offers. He doubted it; the boy had icy cold resolve that was frightening to behold.

"D-don't toy with me, Cassius Bright! Do you have any idea what our getting yourself into?" the boy yells, before gripping his head in agony. Alicia's granddaughter gasps, and rushes forward.

"Please, don't exert yourself. You took very harsh injuries," she says, her eyes wide with concern. The boy simply stares at her, confused. Quite literally; the boy's mouth was partly hanging open. Cassius suppressed a snigger, while Alicia openly smiled.

"…who're you?" he asks, no, more like demands. His eyes darts around the room and Cassius helpfully nudges his swords closer to him. The boy's eyes widen in surprise, before his hand darts into his pant pocket. He sags slightly in relief, before straightening.

"I'm Princess Klaudia von Auslee, but please call me Klaudia," she introduces herself with a slight bow. He simply watches her, befuddled, before turning to Cassius.

"Cassius Bright, where have you taken me?" he asks. Before he could answer, Alicia cuts in and answers.

"You're in Grancel, boy, in the palace. Cassius here was kind enough to take you here after you attempted to kill him," Alicia states flatly. The boy grimaces before turning away, discomfort visible in his expression. "Aren't you forgetting something? Tell us your name," the queen adds, encouraging the boy to introduce himself. The boy is momentarily struck speechless, or perhaps he simply doesn't want to introduce himself.

Cassius adds gently, "It's only fair to address the princess with the proper amount of respect." The boy blinks, almost as if he hadn't considered that.

"F-fine, my name is… Joshua… Joshua Astray," he says quietly. They sit back, contemplating. Astray was certainly a fitting name. How a child veered so far off the acceptable route of his age was beyond them.

Alicia ponders for a moment more, before questioning, "Joshua… how would you like to live with us?" At his surprise, she continued, "Maybe not as a family member, but as a guardian or bodyguard?" Joshua ponders this deeply, his forehead creasing as he analyzed all possible things that could come from accepting this. "His eyes were not befitting a child his age," Cassius thought sadly to himself. "Those are the eyes of someone who brushes with death every day. Those eyes are not seen even on the soldiers who go off to fight."

It seemed the boy made his mind up. Joshua's face carefully blanks, and he nods slowly. Kladia rejoices, Alicia smiles, and Cassius rises. Joshua tenses at this, and his eyes harden and he reaches for one of his swords.

Noticing this, Cassius laughs, and tells Joshua, "Relax. I'm not going to harm you. I need to get back home; my daughter is undoubtedly upset."

* * *

Cassius grew nervous as he walked up the steps with practiced ease. Estelle loved souvenirs, and while the boy would've made a funny one (how he wished he could've seen the look on her face!) he didn't have any prepared. Cassius nervously looked in through the window. It was obscenely early; no sane person would be awake at this time. It seemed the case was true for his daughter; she was sitting at the table with her head nestled in her arms, quietly sleeping. Or it could be a very clever ruse; he wouldn't put it past Estelle to do something like this. He steeled himself and opened his door, announcing, "I'm home…" Estelle stirred, before rising and yawning. She blearily rubbed her eyes and gazed at whatever made that noise. When she saw him, all signs of sleep vanished and her mind jolted into full awareness.

"Daddy!" Estelle cheered. After a quick hug, she eyed him. "Did you bring me something?"

The Sword Saint was not ashamed to admit he had a cold sweat running down his back. "Morgan would have a field day over this; the Sword Saint, unparalled master of the sword, getting stared down and intimidated by some six year old," he thought. "Estelle is going to be upset for sure."

"Uhh… no? UGH!" Upset she was, Cassius dimly noted in the back of his head as Estelle's foot connected with his face.

* * *

Klaudia was not ashamed in admitting her face was likely red in embarrassment. Joshua, shrouded in shadows, was standing in the back of her room staring at her. She didn't even have to look; she just knew.

"Joshua…?" she called.

"Yes, master?" he responded.

"Please stop calling me that. It's embarrassing," she cried.

"You are my master, Klaudia. It's proper I call you this," he said. If she didn't know better and if he was more than a little cold, she would've sworn a hint of amusement leaked into his voice.

"Can you just… go to sleep?" she pleaded.

"… is that an order?"

"Just go to sleep already!"

"Very well master," he acquiesced, going to the bed put out for him. Klaudia sighed in both relief an exasperation. At least she wasn't going to have to deal with him staring at her in the dark. That was just all kinds of creepy.

"…or is it mistress?"

Klaudia did not deign that needing an answer and frantically tried to shut her mind down faster. When she woke up, she would have a reasonable talk with him. She considered knocking herself out, but as she reached into her mind and gathered some power for a quick time or space spell, she heard a soft sound of a boy breathing quietly. Twisting over, she saw that Joshua was sleeping, his eyes closed, fingers curled around a golden harmonica. Klaudia huffed slightly in irritation, but she wasn't sure who she was irritated at. Shortly after, she herself succumbed to the quiet embrace of sleep.

Morning rose, and Joshua was nowhere to be seen. She blearily rubbed her eyes and changed. When she came down, Joshua was sitting at the table, his twin swords sheathed behind him, nursing a cup of coffee. "Mistress, did you sleep we-"

"I slept fine, Joshua, and please call me Klaudia," she muttered, not really noticing her correction in her haste to get breakfast.

Joshua hesitated, before bowing his head slightly. "As you wish Mis... Klaudia."

* * *

Joshua Bright, son of Cassius Bright and brother and eventual lover of Estelle Bright was no longer a possibility. He was now Joshua Astray, grim-faced and stoic bodyguard of Princess Klaudia. Loyally living for her and only her, he devoted himself, mind and body to serving her. She was, after all, his only path for any hope of redemption. Anywhere she went, he was almost guaranteed to be somewhere close by. Assassins were repelled by the hordes, before dying down and stopping completely. There was no real need for her to pose as a student at the academy, however she did so anyway. As always, he followed. He slowly but surely gathered a name, Princess Klaudia's "Grim Shadow". His charm was the envy of boys and the desires of girls everywhere but they were not relevant. He composed songs occasionally, and his golden harmonica's soothing sounds resounded through schoolyards and castleyards alike. His most famous one, "Whereabouts of the Stars", quickly grew to be a castle favorite and rose to fame as the crowning song in any orchestra.

In Rolent, Estelle Bright grew up. She never did outgrow her old personality, but she was steadily, if not slowly, becoming a true bracer. Her mind was keener than normal, and she could use an orbment with a reasonable amount of success. Finally, to Sherzard's joy and dread, she finally graduated to become a junior Bracer. She took on small jobs to pass the time, slowly garnering fame in the Rolent area as the most reliable and enthusiastic Bracer available.

Cassius received the letter, a little later than normal. Departing as normal, the Linde disappeared, as to be expected. Estelle, naturally, could not let this be and set off to find her beloved father. News of the Linde's disappearance reached Grancel, and Klaudia with Joshua departed to investigate. Both of them owed him a great deal, after all; Klaudia a loyal and trusted bodyguard and friend, Joshua a chance of redemption and genuine happiness.

In the shadows of Liberl, Ouroboros moved silently yet surely. Their plans were derailed slightly when Joshua and Estelle did not meet. Deciding not to take any chances, Leonhardt the Sword Emperor was not dispatched to investigate. Arianrhod the Valkyrie was sent in his stead.

Some things are decided by the simple change of decision by a single man. Others are still simply meant to happen and will occur, no matter what measures you may take to avoid it. Trails are blazed, miracles are formed, and the sky is the canvas. The time worn gears are turning once more.

* * *

A/N: I rewrote the chapter, added more detail, more words, more fleshing out. College marches on, I am powerless to stop it, and I made the grave error of downloading Disgaea, which is consuming my time. Everything has not changed.

SC has been announced, but I'll write it only when it comes out, when the price is reasonable, and all that good jazz. *cheers* XSeed, I now declare you my favorite publisher.

Please leave reviews. I don't feel as if this story gets any attention, and while this is indeed my primary project and I'll write it regardless of reviews, please leave at least something.

I also tried to change my penname to Anshin'in, but that was taken. Perhaps copyrights fell into play here. Yes I know the name belongs to a girl.

Til we meet again.

~J


	2. Chapter 1: Disappearance of the Linde I

Five years had passed since that day Joshua came into the royal family as a guardian.

Klaudia had grown from a young girl into a teenager of extraordinary beauty. Her dark purple eyes twinkled with light and laughter, and her hair, while cut short, shone in the sun. She discarded the garb of the princess in favor of the Jenis Royal Academy uniform. When questioned, she simply responded "Because I want to learn more and associate with people my age." Klaudia had many admirers, and more than a few boys harbored crushes on her. They didn't tell her due to fear of her constant companion, the "Grim Shadow" as he was so called on campus

If Klaudia was the sun, Joshua was the moon. His amber eyes were hardened, and his face showed absolutely no emotion except for the rare time they were alone. He wore simple garb, a white scarf, gray jacket and pants, a simple silver pendant, and his twin swords were always sheathed on his back. He also held a great many admirers for both his beautiful music and looks. He was, unknown to him, voted the "Number One Most Desirable Boy on Campus". He had not discarded his clothes in favor of the male uniform, and when brought aside, stated that he was there to protect Kloe, not to attend the academy. "Her family has a great deal of enemies, so they hired me for protection."

Princess Klaudia, temporary alias and fake student "Kloe" was studying. Well, perhaps that was being overgenerous. More like lounging on her sofa with a book in her lap. She read the book to the point where she could recite entire passages on demand. It was a rather romantic tale of a lady who fell in love with her own knight. Since their love was forbidden due to their differing status, the knight took the lady away from the kingdom. It was, admittedly, a very sappy tale, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. Her eyes involuntarily fell on her bodyguard and closest friend of nearly five years who was poring over various papers. He had a somber but quiet dignity, almost tragic in nature. She could see why most girls at the academy had a crush on him, but he could not reciprocate due to being her guard. Wait, the story was almost coinciding with her life; was she-?! She flushed a brief crimson at the thought.

"'Cassius Bright Missing', huh…" Joshua's quiet statement was, at best, uninterested from those who didn't know him. Klaudia had been around him for most of her recallable life, and she could detect a faint current of worry. Alas, her mind was still… elsewhere. Somewhere wonderful. "Klaudia?" he said turning around, his face gaining a faint trace of worry.

Klaudia did not stutter. That would be undignified, and she was trained to constantly have a serene, relaxed air around her. "E-eh, what?" was the brilliant response.

He regarded her for a single moment more, what with her flushed face he thought he merely caught her at an inopportune time. "It would appear as if Cassius Bright's transport vessel, Linde, was on its way to Grancel and disappeared. It was last sighted over the Bose region," said Joshua, sifting through a paper. One of the perks of being a member, albeit unofficially, of the royal household was all the latest news, be it via the Imperial Army or the numerous eyes and ears around the continent. He frowns in contemplation. Could they be moving already?

Shoving thoughts of romance with Joshua aside, Klaudia took a contemplative look at both her closest confident and friend, and then at the stack of books that lay waiting, along with the script of a play she was supposed to organize. Finally, she made a snap decision that grew after countless hours of attempting to give Joshua the slip. "Let's-"

"No."

All those attempts typically ended in failure.

"Why?! We have to at least go and investigate," Klaudia pouted.

"I can think of a multitude of reasons right off the bat. One, you need to study, 'Kloe'. Two, the Army is already investigating. You don't think that Morgan would let the disappearance of one of his dearest friends go uninvestigated, do you? And three, you have no clue how to fight. Well, at least not on the level that it would take to catch Cassius Bright off guard." Klaudia's head grew lower and lower as she acknowledged Joshua's excellent points. While it was true she was undertaking swordplay lessons by both General Morgan on his days off and Joshua, she was still barely an amateur. The fact that Joshua used dual swords instead of her preferred rapier did not lend points to this. She did have a fair knowledge of magic, but again, they were all defensive and supportive arts.

Morgan was a general who commanded nearly the entire army. Rumor had it that a few members in the Intelligence Division, primarily one Argento, a rapidly rising corporal, was on the case the instant it sprung up.

And naturally, while her grades were among the best in her class, she did in fact, need to study. The fact she was entrusted with the production of a play was also weighing heavily on her mind.

"I have to do something…" she muttered.

"I owe Cassius Bright as much if not a bigger debt than you. Merely say the word, and I will do all I can," Joshua said blandly. She contemplated this; it was true, if nothing else. He expressed more than once his gratitude towards being able to serve her. With his skills, Cassius would be found in weeks, if not days. There was just one key issue that neither of them were comfortable acknowledging.

"But then who would protect me?" she gasped in mock horror. Joshua smiled and dipped his head. For now, their hands were tied on the issue. However, on other issues…

"Now, who was the man who brought about the Orbament Revolution?"

"Uhh…"

"Klaudia..." he sighed. His face found a resting place in his palm. Klaudia smiled sheepishly at his comatose form. He shot up, and pointed at her. "You will review with me for the duration of the day, then we are going to have a match today!" The smile was wiped out of existence; Joshua was not exactly the gentlest trainer and by the small smile on his face said he knew exactly what she was thinking damnit.

…he still had some influence, at the very least.

* * *

Estelle Bright was a fairly well known Bracer and was known for taking on any job. She had a powerful name attached, with Cassius Bright being the leader of the Rolent branch and being an S class Bracer to boot. Perhaps most ironically, she had no clue about her father's fame. She simply dismissed him as an old man, despite his protests that he was only forty five. However, something had been wrong lately. Since her father's disappearance, she had held onto hope. There was no way her father would throw in the towel so easily.

As weeks went on, she grew quieter and quieter. Every day after a job she opened her door to an empty house. Something had been missing, and the house had been incredibly lonely. This even had an influence on her Bracer duties, something which Scherazard and Aina pointed out to her with some degree of concern. She was making more and more careless decisions, rushing in on as she would've done before she completed her training. Before she was forced to mature.

Outside of the Bright residence, Estelle Bright laced up her boots and seized her staff. Romping around in the grass, she took one last breath of home and turned to look at what has been her house for her entire recallable life. She shifted her pack, and headed out to Rolent. There was someone she needed to visit before venturing outwards.

A few minutes, quick snack and short climb later, and Estelle was casually leaning against the railing of Rolent's clock tower. Destroyed in the Hundred Year War near the end and killed her mother, who was protecting her. She didn't exactly have a sterling view of the tower. Well, she did get her dream to become a Bracer, so perhaps she owes the tower something, at the very least?

"Hey mom, it's Estelle. It's been some time since I last visited," a derisive snort. She's been staying as far away from the place as reasonably possible. "I've finally become a Bracer, and, well, now Dad's gone." She hurried to correct herself. "He's not dead, just missing! But the man's old, and… I'm concerned," she confessed. She gazes at the early morning sun, idly shielding her eyes.

"I became a Bracer to emulate you. I hated my weakness back then and wanted to become stronger. Dad's been watching over me all my life and covering up my mistakes; now it's time for me to return the favor," she stated. It was not an empty statement; it was a fact. Estelle was more stubborn than most mules, and if she was going to go on this path, she would do so, with or without company.

She turned and started down the ladder, turning and whispering, "Wish me luck, mom." And with that, Estelle left Rolent behind and headed west to Bose. She adjusted her pack, her staff shifting in her hands, and walked down the dirt path. A slight yet comfortable breeze wafted through her hair. Estelle couldn't help but smile; journeying out on a grand adventure like one of her old storybooks; how could she not be excited?

Suddenly, a realization hit her. She had not gotten the permission to do this from Scherazard! Oh, she was so boned when she got back…

"This'll definitely hurt my image, but it needs to be done," she said with distaste. And she had worked so hard to build that reputation up!

* * *

Klaudia sighed, flopping onto her bed. Her body was just one gigantic bruise and her arm felt like jelly. Joshua had really put her through the wringer when he discovered she couldn't recall the basics of the Revolution. It wasn't her fault; the name just slipped by her! He couldn't blame her for forgetting one measly time, right?

One of the benefits of being… well, who she was, was her very own private chamber and separate quarters from the rest of the student body. Only the dean knew of her situation; for everyone else, she was simply a "special student". However, perhaps it was a transparent guise; no other student had their own bodyguard after all. At least for now she can take refuge in no one having called her out on her little stunt just yet.

Her eyes fell on the same book she was reading earlier that day. She picked it up once again, muttering a quick art to light her lamp. Klaudia's eyes skimmed through the pages, and flushed when the similarities were drawn between her own life and the story.

"Absurd, Joshua probably doesn't see me in that light. He's too professional for romance," she thought with a very unladylike snort. Tossing the book aside, she snuffed the light and went to sleep, her mind full of thoughts.

Downstairs, Joshua frowned in contemplation. While he was aware that he was supposed to assassinate Cassius Bright, the fact that he disappeared on a seemingly ordinary trip rang with suspicious alarms. He's a top class Bracer; Leader even moved the Orpheus Project to a different _continent_ simply because he was sniffing around too much on the previous. So what sort of plan could anyone have used to catch the Sword Saint off guard and capture him?

He shook his head; Cassius could give even the Pillars a run for their money. It was exceedingly unlikely that any mere band of thieves could do this. This positively reeked of Ouroboros interference.

This was where things got sticky. He was obliged to protect Princess Klaudia; he devoted his entire being to her protection and safety. Joshua could simply not leave her side. Yet, if he did not, Ouroboros posed a bigger threat than any other possible assassin. Loewe could and likely would help him; they were brothers in all but blood before the incident, and that bond continued even into their membership. There was no way to contact him, however…

Joshua rubbed his head in a moment of rare frustration. His hands were all but tied; despite being among the organization's most trusted Legion, he was all but powerless.

"I suppose all I can do is pray to Aidos for guidance," he thought grimly. "If Loewe was dispatched to deal with the hitch, he likely would've contacted me already. Since he hasn't, someone else had been. And that name, Argento… only one person in all of Ouroboros has a name that hints at that."

Arianrhod, the "Valkyrie" of the Erebonian Empire. Skilled in every martial arts school, beautiful beyond compare, and showed no mercy to her foes. Led the elite cavalry and supposedly lived for over two hundred years. The Seventh Pillar, among the most powerful people in the world. If she was the one dispatched, there was absolutely no chance he would stand against her; she stated to them she only expected Loewe to surpass her. If he couldn't get here in time, the peaceful days he enjoyed for the past five years would come to a close.

* * *

Outside the academy walls, a lone figure stood against the moon. His brownish gray cloak whipped around him in the wind. At his waist was buckled a most unusual sword. His violet eyes had a cold edge, much like chips of violet ice, but belied soft warmth as he gazed at the walls. His hair gleamed dull silver, before he turned on his heel.

"No, I can't act just yet. It's too soon, and she'll be here soon. I'm violating orders just being here," the Sword Emperor muttered, and strode away from the walls. He had some interference duties to run. Namely one annoying little Bracer called Agate. Legion number II, Loewe alias 'Lorence' palmed his sword Kernviter in barely veiled anxiety. So many things had gone wrong, but he had to get his little brother back.


End file.
